The restaurant business just seemed like a good idea in 1997 when Bob McMahon purchased City Grill on East Tanque Verde Road after selling his meat distributorship.
Eleven years later his Metro Restaurants either owns, is managing or is a partner in eight restaurants. It also manages three golf clubs.
  
|
Despite his successes, he says he’s not above the difficulties of the Tucson restaurant industry in the summers. Especially this summer of economic recession and rising food costs.
"Food prices keep climbing and distributers keep adding surcharges," said McMahon. "Enchiladas used to be really cheap, but not anymore because the price of cheese has doubled. I think four restaurants have closed in the northwest already. It is a rough time."
Also, this winter isn’t looking to be very kind to the industry. For one, the state’s minimum wage is set to increase another 30 cents in January.
There is one area where McMahon is seeing growth: online.
"I am just amazed at how many people go on there each month," he said. "So many people are on there checking out the menus or making reservations – especially at McMahons (his namesake prime steakhouse). And I know people are reading it because if I don’t keep the menus on the websites up to date, I hear about it."
Metro Restaurants’ website allows visitors to become members and receive special Web-only offers at restaurants. Rick Grinnell, director of marketing for Metro Restaurants, said there are around 13,000 people signed up to receive e-mail specials.
While McMahon calls himself "technologically handicapped," he and his team know what to do with an e-mail audience of 13,000 people.
"My philosophy is, if you are going to take the time to sign up to be a member on our site, I will send you something that is good enough to consider," McMahon said. "Some offers for a free drink, or free appetizer, people will just pass up right away. But if I offer a free entrée with the purchase of another entrée, that’s worth considering. I will run something for McMahon’s and I will get people from Green Valley and SaddleBrooke coming for it."
The website has been instrumental in launching McMahon’s newest restaurant, Ristorante Italia, 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road.
"We ran that promotion for Italia and it was packed for lunch on a Friday, which is usually slow," he said. "Then we had 40 to 50 people call and e-mail asking us how they could become members of the site."
Italia is a slightly different restaurant for the area McMahon explained.
"Tucson is a very pasta-and-red-sauce, or meatballs-and-red-sauce town when it comes to Italian food," he said. "But those aren’t real meals in Italy. Pasta with red sauce is an appetizer in Italy. So it is a little different than what the town is used to but it is eight weeks old and continuing to grow."
Another way the website has helped bring in money is through selling gift cards to the restaurants.
"There is not a day that goes by that we don’t have gift card purchases on the Internet." McMahon said. "In December, we will sell 15 to 20 per day."
Looking ahead, McMahon doesn’t see very bright futures for older restaurants on the north side of town.
"Oro Valley is giving tax incentives to new restaurants to build there," he said. "I would suspect anyone from First Avenue all the way to Orange Grove Road will be hurt dramatically by restaurants further north. But that’s just part of growth and part of life. And when there are only Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, Red Lobster and the like, it will be just like any other place in the U.S. Then people lament when places go away."
In an effort to keep pace with the changing Oro Valley scene, McMahon said Metro Restaurants is planning some major changes to the menu at Metropolitan Grill, 7892 N. Oracle Road.
He says his goal is to try to stay on top of changing tastes, even if it means getting rid of old favorites.
McMahon recalls when he closed the Tack Room, once rated Tucson’s finest restaurant by Mobil Travel Guide and AAA. He said people told him how devastated they were he had to close it. He said he would ask when was the last time they were there. They would reply they hadn’t been there in years.
When the time comes, McMahon said executive chef Michael C. Brown will be his successor in running Metro Restaurants.
"Michael will take it where he wants to take it," McMahon said. "Unless he wants to, I doubt I will be opening any other restaurants."
Still McMahon doesn’t see himself doing nothing.
"I still want to work," he said. "I just want to come into the office at 10 and go to lunch at noon and have the afternoons free."
Contact reporter Joe Pangburn at jpangburn@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4259.
Metro Restaurants headquarters
4644 E. Fort Lowell Road
(520) 325-2797
www.metrorestaurants.com/
Restaurants owned and/or managing partner:
McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse
2959 N. Swan Road
(520) 327-7463
Metropolitan Grill
7892 N. Oracle Road
(520) 531-1212
Old Pueblo Grill
60 N. Alvernon Way
(520) 326-6000
Old Pueblo Grill Foothills
7401 N. La Cholla Blvd.
(520) 297-1999
Ristorante Italia
6464 E. Tanque Verde Road
(520) 733-1111
The Grill on the Green at Canoa Ranch Golf Club
5800 S. Camino del Sol
(520) 393-1933
Golf Club management:
Torres Blancas Golf Club
3223 S. Abrego Drive
(520) 625-5200
Canoa Ranch Golf Club
5800 S. Camino del Sol
(520) 393-1966
Wyndam Canoa Ranch Resort
5775 S. Camino del Sol
(520) 382-0450
RSS Feed
Comments